First Kiss
by cyberwulf
Summary: Dick Gumshoe and Diego Armando are best friends in tenth grade. Valentine's Day changes things, and they find out that nothing lasts forever.
1. Part 1

**First Kiss**

**by Cyberwulf**

**Rated M**

**Summary:** Dick and Diego, best friends in tenth grade, on Valentine's Day. First published on part thirteen of the Phoenix Wright Kink Meme on livejournal.

**Disclaimer:** Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney belongs to Capcom.

It was unusually warm for February – warm enough that Dick Gumshoe shrugged off his beloved green hoodie while he waited for the school bus. He tugged his T-shirt down a little over his belly, wondering idly if it had shrunk in the wash or if he'd just put on weight this week. He probably should've chosen something different to wear, but what hall monitor could pass up a shirt that said 'Respect My Authoritah'?

The bus pulled in beside him and he clambered up, ignoring the gang of smirking boys near the front and their snide murmurs of "Dick", and walked halfway down the aisle to where his best friend was waiting.

"Hola, Ricardo."

Diego Armando took his legs off the seat next to him so that Dick could sit down. Diego was feeling the heat too – he was wearing a red vest over a black T-shirt, and black jogging pants. Dick slid his backpack under the seat, balled up his hoodie, and rested it in his lap.

"Hey, pal," he said.

Diego sat up and looked at him closely. "Aw, Ricardo, you shaved off your beard!" he exclaimed in disappointment.

Dick shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "Heh heh, well, it wasn't much of a beard to start with," he said. "I figured if I stick with shaving it for a while, it'll grow back stronger."

"Hm." Diego stroked the patch of dark hair on his own chin. "Maybe I should shave mine, too."

"Up to you, pal," Dick replied. "I mean, if I could grow hair like that, I wouldn't." He scratched at the sticking plaster on his jaw. "But if you do, use an electric razor."

Diego chuckled and held out his hand. "Come on, let's see your English essay."

Dick reached under the seat and rummaged in his backpack. He passed the pages to Diego and waited while the other boy read through them.

"This is good work, Ricardo," Diego said. "It's a B for sure."

Dick ducked his head and blushed. "Really? I felt good about it but not 'B' good, you know?"

"Yeah," Diego replied, handing it back to him. "Trust me, this is at least a B. You've really improved."

Dick put the assignment back in his backpack, grinning like crazy. He and Diego had met because of his poor grades in English. It was back in October, a few weeks into tenth grade. Dick's father, concerned about his son's failing grade, had contacted the principal to find a solution.

_"I'm afraid his teacher can't devote extra time to him outside of class, Mr. Gumshoe," the principal said. "There are certain liability issues involved…a young female teacher and a male student spending time alone –"_

_"Then what're you gonna do?!" Dick Gumshoe Sr. demanded to know. "The boy's not dumb and he's not lazy. He does all his homework, pal, I see to that personally. If his grade doesn't come up I'm holding you and this school responsible!"_

_Dick stared at his shoes, wishing the ground would open up and swallow him. Sure, he did his homework, but his father rarely read it through – he was happy if there were words on a page. Dick hadn't the courage to admit that often he just didn't understand the questions and prompts._

_"Well, we've managed to find a tutor within the student body," the principal explained. "He has very good English grades and is happy to take the time to help your son out." She got up and opened the door leading out of her office, ushering father and son outside. Sitting across the corridor from her office was a wavy-haired Latino boy with the beginnings of a goatee._

_"This is Diego Armando, Mr. Gumshoe," the principal explained. "He's in the tenth grade and he'll tutor your son."_

_Diego looked up and flashed a wide grin at Dick's father. "Hola, señor."_

_Dick Sr. nearly said something. He turned to the principal and in a hushed voice insisted that they return to her office. Left alone, Dick wandered over to Diego and sat down._

_"You must be Richard," Diego said, offering Dick his hand._

_"Uh, yeah," Dick replied self-consciously. He'd been trying since the start of the term to get people to call him 'Richard' rather than 'Dick'. The experiment was largely a failure – most people had ignored him, and the few who spat 'Dick' at him like it was a bad word had found a way to make 'Richard' sound even worse. "About that…you can just call me 'Dick'." He looked at the floor. "Most people do."_

_"Hm." Diego leaned back, stroking the uneven patch of hair and stubble on his chin. "So tell me, Ricardo, what about English class is causing you trouble?"_

_The unexpected nickname made Dick pause, unsure if the other boy was making fun of him. But he couldn't see any sneer or mockery in Diego's expression. Hesitantly, he began to explain about the problems he was having._

After-school tutoring quickly grew into rock-solid friendship, though at first Dick was wary – especially since Diego never called him anything except 'Ricardo'. But there was something about the way he rolled that first 'R'… no pejorative emphasis, like 'Hey, DICK', no mocking lilt like 'Riiiichard'. Shyly he'd admitted to his love of Bob Marley, and Diego responded by telling him his favourite singer was a Columbian musician called Juanes. Diego'd come across Dick's notebook of circuit diagrams for different gizmos he was working on, and while Dick was trying to laugh it off as a dumb hobby, Diego scratched his head in awe and wanted to know if they would really work. Dick didn't have many friends, and Diego was a good one. Now, by February, they were practically inseparable.

"Hey, Ricardo." Diego reached behind him and pulled out two Valentine's Day cards. "Got these in the mailbox this morning." He snickered and tapped one of them. "This one is so blue. If my mother found out, she'd kill me." He opened the 'blue' Valentine's Day card to re-read it. "I think it might be from a teacher," he said, frowning in alarm. He offered the card to Dick. "Have a look, tell me what you think."

"Uh, no thanks, pal," Dick said quickly, holding up his hands. "It sounds kinda private."

Diego shrugged and put the card away. "My breakfast coffee's wearing off." He reached into his backpack, took out a bottle of cola, and had a swig before offering it to Dick.

"Too early for me, pal," Dick replied. Diego shrugged and had another mouthful before putting the cola away again. Dick felt a little envious. He'd hacked his soda consumption right back to try to lose weight, while Diego drank that sweet stuff all the time and never put on a pound.

"So, how many cards did you get?" Diego asked.

Dick scratched his neck self-consciously and looked away. "Uh, none."

Diego tapped him gently on the jaw with his knuckles. "Hey, cheer up. The day is young."

Dick smiled in spite of himself. Diego was right; there was always hope.

The bus stopped to let another student on. Dick and Diego both fell silent as Lana Skye boarded the bus. She walked past them and both boys watched as she sat down, Diego kneeling up on his seat, Dick looking around the edge of his.

"Oh, baby," Diego hissed with a grin, sitting back down. "That Lana… I always need my Trapper Keeper when she's around." He butted Dick with his shoulder. _"¿Comprende?"_

"I've got a Valentine for her," Dick confessed in a whisper, a shy smile spreading across his face.

"Well go give it to her!" Diego whispered back. He knelt up on the seat again. "Hey, Lana!"

Dick grabbed Diego by the back of his vest and pulled him back down. "Shhh!"

"But she's right there!" Diego whispered.

"Yeah, I know, pal!" Dick hissed back. "So's everyone else! I don't wanna get knocked back with everybody watching."

"Ohhh," Diego replied. He mimed zipping his mouth closed.

"I'm just gonna put it in her locker later," Dick explained quietly.

Diego grinned. "Sounds good, Ricardo," he said. "Any other lucky ladies gonna get a love note from you?"

Dick blushed and rubbed his neck. "Maybe." He punched Diego in the arm. "I bet you've got a ton to pass out, huh pal?"

"Maybe," Diego replied, punching him back. They began to rough-house good-naturedly, Dick letting his shorter, lighter friend gain the upper hand, until the bus driver shouted at them to knock it off.

"Oh shut up, you old bag," Diego muttered, letting Dick out of a chokehold. He sat back down, checking his reflection in the window to make sure his hair wasn't too mussed. Dick smoothed down his clothes and gazed past Diego as the school came into view.

The bus pulled up and the students began to disembark. Diego slung his arm around Dick's shoulder as they walked into the building together. Dick smiled ruefully as the girls they passed straightened up, eyeing his friend.

"Your locker's gonna be full of cards by the end of first period, pal," he remarked.

"Pffff." Diego looked up at him and smiled. "Ricardo, they're looking at you, man."

If anyone else but Diego said something like that to him, Dick would take it as an insult. They were about the same age, but Diego was lean and toned from swimming and soccer. Despite taking up weightlifting a few months earlier, Dick was bulky and fat. Diego's thick, wavy hair did exactly as it was told; Dick's hair developed spikes and cowlicks even after half an hour with a brush, comb and styling gel. Dick's voice was still breaking and occasionally wobbled out of control. Diego's voice was smooth and deep. Height-wise though, Dick was ahead, for now – at six foot one he was a clear four inches taller than Diego.

Diego dropped his arm from Dick's shoulder and shot him with double-barrelled fingers. "I'll see you later." He paused to hitch up his baggy pants, then strode away towards his locker.

Dick went to start his shift as hall monitor. He took his sash from his locker, feeling a little rush as he put it on. He'd never admitted it to anyone, not even Diego, in case he gave the wrong impression, but he did get a small kick out of the authority the sash conveyed. Being able to flash a detective's badge would be so fucking cool. Not that that was the only thing that attracted him to a career in law enforcement, or the only reason he liked being a hall monitor. Dick took his responsibilities very seriously. He scanned the crowded hallway for any shoving matches or scrums at the lockers.

"Hey, kid, no running in the hall!"

His fellow hall monitor Angel Starr was the one who'd shouted. Dick spotted the offender tearing up towards him and stepped out in front of him. The boy slammed into Dick's bulk and Dick caught him as he fell backwards.

"See what happens when you run in the hallways, pal?" Dick asked, setting him back on his feet. "What if you'd hit someone smaller, huh?"

"Yeah, whatever," the kid muttered, dusting himself off.

"Yeah don't run in my hallway any more!" Dick corrected him. He stepped aside to let him pass. "Walk!"

The kid muttered something as he went by, but Dick heard it. "No wonder you don't have any friends."

Dick frowned, but shook the remark off as Angel approached him.

"Thanks, Dick," she said. They stood together, Angel leaning against the lockers, watching as the hallway emptied as students got to class. Then Angel spoke. "Say, you hang around with Diego Armando, right?"

"Yeah," Dick replied.

Angel played with her hair. "Does he have a girlfriend?"

Dick eyed her suspiciously. "Hey, I thought you already had a boyfriend!"

Angel shot him a contemptuous look. "Yeah, _across town_," she replied haughtily. "Besides, who says a girl can't have more than one?"

Dick folded his arms and looked away. "Well, Diego doesn't have a girlfriend right now," he mumbled. Not that Diego couldn't get one, if he wanted… but for some reason his friend seemed completely unaware of how attractive he was to the opposite sex.

"Good," Angel purred. She straightened up and gave him a wink. "See you later, Dick."

Dick waited till she was gone and the hallway was clear. Then he collected the small Valentine he'd made the previous night from his own locker, walked to Lana's locker, and pushed it through the slots.

With his shift as hall monitor over, the rest of the morning passed quickly. Dick confidently handed in his English assignment and received the previous week's paper in return. He couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face when he looked at his marks – an essay Diego had called as a C+ bore a B- on the top corner. The only downside to the morning was the lack of a single Valentine in his locker.

Diego waved to him as he entered the lunchroom and Dick quickly collected a tray and joined his friend. A few minutes later, Angel joined them, scooting as close to Diego as possible.

"Hola, Ricardo," Diego greeted him.

Angel snorted. "_Ricardo?_"

Dick ignored her. "Hey, pal. Got a B- on last week's English assignment."

"Elevated handslap!" Diego exclaimed, raising his hand. Dick high-fived him with a grin and both boys went back to eating lunch. Angel picked at hers, more interested in Diego than her food.

"Hey cutie," she purred, reaching out to touch Diego's wavy dark locks. "Wanna be my other boyfriend?"

Diego brushed her hand away without looking up. "Hey _señorita, _off the hair." He turned to his friend. "What class do you have after lunch?"

Dick smiled. "Metal shop. You?"

"I have pointless and redundant Spanish class that my parents are making me take because it's an 'easy grade'," Diego replied, adding air quotes. "Never mind that I've already read Don Quixote _in_ Spanish, apparently my grandmother Armando will haunt us all forever if I lose my fluency…"

As Diego continued to ramble, Dick noticed he was jogging one of his legs.

"Did you smuggle in one of those Toro Rosso energy drinks again?" he asked.

"Yes," Diego replied, looking down at his leg and then back up at Dick. "Yes I did."

Dick face-palmed. "Pal, those things give people heart attacks!"

"That's just scaremongering," Diego insisted. "They've only got the same amount of caffeine as three cups of coffee. Coffee never hurt anyone." He finished his lunch. "Anyway after WORTHLESS SPANISH CLASS I have Geography so that should even me out." He picked up his tray, too full of caffeine and nervous energy to sit still for the rest of lunch period, and got up. "See you later, Ricardo."

"See you, pal," Dick replied.

Angel watched Diego walk away, a dreamy look on her face. She glanced at Dick, who was eating jello, and her faraway smile turned into a mocking smirk.

"_Ricardo?"_ she said again.

"Hey, he just calls me that," Dick said defensively. "It's not like I asked him to."

Angel held up her hands. "Hey, don't get me wrong, Ricardo's a nice name," she replied. She stood up and picked up her tray, delivering a parting shot as she started towards the bin. "Too bad you don't look like a Ricardo."

Dick stared into his jello and didn't want it any more.

Dick carefully checked the inside of his locker before he put his books away, and sighed. No Valentines. He'd suspected as much all afternoon. Here it was, the end of the day, and he doubted any of the girls were going to actually hand him one, in public, letting everyone know they liked the big awkward hall monitor with the stupid hair.

He looked up the hallway and saw Diego coming his way, holding about half a dozen colourful envelopes.

"Check it out," Diego said with a grin, fanning the cards in one hand. "That makes eight this year." Dick glanced at the cards and then turned his attention back to his locker. "How many did you get?"

Dick pretended to be re-organising his books.

"None."

Diego fell silent, biting his lip. Then he nudged Dick gently with his shoulder. "Hey, Ricardo, no need to lie just because you're afraid I'll be jealous –"

Dick lost his temper.

"Just quit it, will ya, pal?" he shouted. "Quit calling me Ricardo and quit pretending!" Other students were starting to gather around them, but he didn't care. "Girls_ don't like me!_ They probably never will! Meanwhile they swarm around you like you're made of _sugar_ and – and you don't even notice!"

He slammed his locker shut, grabbed his backpack and stormed past a thoroughly stunned Diego and the murmuring peanut gallery.


	2. Part 2

Dick sat under the bleachers, working on his English assignment while the football team trained behind him. He didn't feel like taking the bus home. It was a hike but he could walk it. Be good for him. Exercise. Yeah, that was it. Maybe he'd walk to school tomorrow, too. Maybe he'd just walk for the rest of the year.

With his homework finished, Dick flipped his notebook to his plans for the Ultimate Home Security System TM, and began to pore over the circuit diagrams he'd sketched out over the last week. It all looked fine on paper, but he'd have to start actually building it to see if it would work. He wondered how mad his father would be if he came home and found the garage full of wires and bits of scrapped electronics.

A shadow fell across him.

"Hola… Ricardo."

Diego sat beside him and he scooted a few inches away.

"I can't do it," Diego said. "I can't call you Dick. Not when I know you hate it."

Dick stubbornly didn't look up from his book. Then something cool and metallic bumped gently against his shoulder. Dick looked up. Diego was tapping him lightly with a can of lemonade, an apologetic grin on his face.

Dick smiled, finally relenting. "Thanks, pal." He accepted the drink and cracked it open. Diego did the same with a can of cola.

"Hey, I'm sorry about before, pal," Dick mumbled. I know you were just trying to cheer me up." He took a swallow of lemonade, suddenly needing to tell someone how he felt. "It's just – you know, guys younger than me get so many girls, and…" He blushed bright red. "…and I'm sixteen and I haven't had my first kiss yet."

Diego looked at the grass between his trainers.

"Hey, Ricardo."

Dick looked at him. "Yeah?"

Diego set his cola aside and turned to face him. As he leaned into him, Dick realised what was about to happen. He could never figure out, later on, why he didn't move away, or laugh it off, or do anything except stay right where he was, mouth slightly open, as Diego's lips met his own. Dick gripped his can of lemonade tighter and tighter, unsure of what to do or whether to kiss back as Diego cupped his face in one hand and slid the other down to stroke Dick's pudge. Was – was that Diego's tongue in his mouth? It felt good – a little too good. Dick shifted as a familiar happy feeling began to build in his pants. Diego broke the kiss a moment later, but stayed put, one hand in Dick's hair, the other resting on his tummy.

"Diego…"

Diego pressed a finger against his lips. "Shhh." He dropped his hand from Dick's hair to his shoulder. "Ricardo, you're loyal and kind and you stand up for what's right. You'll make some lucky lady very happy one day." A grin spread across his face and he shook Dick on the shoulder. "Then she'll find out how handy you are and she'll _never_ let you go." Dick let out a yell of surprise as Diego grabbed him around the neck and shoulders in a clumsy headlock. "And my wife – " Diego ruffled Dick's untidy hair. " – my wife will be calling you up, man: 'Please help me, Mr. Gumshoe, Diego tried to change a lightbulb and the fusebox exploded' –"

Dick wrapped his arms around his friend and began to wrestle back, just two guys rough-housing, like guys did, in a way that wasn't gay at all. He pushed Diego over onto the grass, almost landing on top of him. He gazed into Diego's brown eyes and suddenly the air between them was charged with electricity.

Dick suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He pushed himself back up with a sheepish grin, turned away and picked up his abandoned lemonade. Most of it was in the grass, but there were still a few cool tangy mouthfuls left in the can. Diego sat up again too, teasing his hair back into its usual wavy spikes. Dick glanced at him, feeling like he should say something.

"You're a good friend, Diego," he blurted out.

"So are you, Ricardo," Diego replied. He glanced at his trainers before continuing. "You're the most genuine person I've ever met."

Dick ducked his head shyly. Diego held out a hand. "You do your English homework yet?"

"Uh…" Dick rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. "…I was kinda mad when I did it, so I'm gonna stay here and do it over." He flashed Diego a brief grin. "You go on home, pal. I'll see you on the bus tomorrow."

Diego nodded, understanding. He picked up his cola, got up and walked away.

Dick spent the long walk home feeling very confused. He'd always assumed his first kiss would be with a girl. That was what was supposed to happen, right? Instead his first kiss was with his best friend. His best _guy_ friend. A pity kiss. What a loser…

But pity wasn't Diego's style. Dick had known that ever since the day when he realised, startlingly, that Diego hung out with him because he really, truly liked him. So then… had Diego really just kissed him to cheer him up? Sort of, 'See, pal? I'm a guy and **I** wanna kiss you! You're just that irresistible!' ?

Or…

…oh man.

_Was Diego gay?_

For that matter, _was he?_

Wasn't he supposed to think the whole thing was kinda gross? Wasn't he supposed to laugh it off, cracking wise about the scratchiness of Diego's beard and that BO-mixed-with-cheap-deodorant locker room smell?

But it was nice. It was… tender. It was with someone who liked him, liked him for all his dumb hobbies and not-fitting-in, who didn't care about his doughy belly and his untameable hair. He'd even started to – to –

And yet he'd seen Diego bare-butt-naked before, not that he was looking, no sir, just that some things were inevitable when you had gym with a guy, and he'd never felt anything… y'know… physical. How could one stupid kiss change that?

At dinnertime, Dick picked at his food, trying to sort out his thoughts, and his father started lecturing him about faddy diets and how they were a waste of time. His mother cut in, urging his father to 'leave the boy alone' before promptly asking Dick what was wrong. Dick told them truthfully that he hadn't received any Valentines, and suffered their platitudes in silence before asking to be excused.

He came out of a dream at about four thirty am, the echo of Diego's voice and the scent of Cougar brand deodorant lingering at the edge of his consciousness. Still half-asleep, Dick wrapped his fingers around his painful erection and gasped his best friend's name as he came.

***

February 15th was chillier than the previous day. Dick tried to relax as he waited for the bus. He'd woken up too late to walk to school. He'd tried to beg a lift from his parents, but when they asked him why, he was too ashamed to tell them. He couldn't not sit next to Diego; he'd know something was up. The bus came up the street, pulling in beside him, and Dick sighed. This was gonna be so awkward.

Diego was rocking out to something on his earphones, backpack on the seat next to him. He raised a hand in greeting as Dick approached and put his backpack on the floor. Dick waved back, barely able to meet Diego's gaze, and sat down. For a brief, mad second he considered just telling him. _Hey pal. Had a big wet dream about you last night._ Noooo. Not happening.

Diego switched off his personal stereo and took out his earphones. "Hola, Ricardo." He tapped the stereo. "Look, I know we both agreed that nu-metal is trash but you've gotta hear these guys. The guitars are so clean and the harmonising they do with their voices –"

A passing student repeated Diego's last sentence in a mocking, high-pitched voice. Diego knelt up on the seat and shouted after him.

"And what band do you like?!" At the boy's reply, Diego called back, "Yeah – okay – well when you get tired of eight grown men throwing a tantrum and shouting 'Fuck' into a microphone over and over, and want to appreciate some real music, Ricardo and I will be right here." He sat back down. Dick sniggered in spite of himself.

"Nice burn, pal," he said.

Diego smiled back and handed him the stereo. "Here, listen to the second track, it's the best. I'll have a look at your English homework."

Dick dug out his assignment and passed it over. He put on Diego's earphones and listened to the second track as instructed. It was good. Nowhere near the awesomeness of Bob Marley, but it had a certain something. He glanced at Diego, busy reading his assignment, and began to feel the kiss and the dream and their awkward aftermath slip away. Some of the weird feeling crept back when they got off the bus and Diego slung his arm around Dick's shoulders like always, but by the time he saw Diego at lunch, it had well and truly vanished. Nothing had changed. They were just buddies. Best friends for life, or at least for high school.

It didn't last. It couldn't.

***

It was the last Monday of May. Dick Gumshoe was once again waiting for the bus. The sun was out, and his green hoodie was crammed in his backpack. He'd had to retire "Respect My Authoritah" back in April; he'd popped the seams in both shoulders one morning. Today he was wearing a shirt with Bob Marley and a hemp leaf on it. The bus pulled in beside him and he climbed aboard, walking down to where Diego was sitting.

"Hey, pal."

"Hola." Diego took his backpack off the seat without looking up. He was wearing an Argentina soccer jersey, the blue and white stripes a startling contrast to the red he usually favoured. He was gazing out the window, his face unusually glum.

"Hey, Diego, what's up?" Dick asked in concern. He indicated Diego's shirt. "They get knocked out?"

Diego looked up and gave Dick a lopsided grin. "No," he replied. "Group stage doesn't start till June." Dick tried to ask again but Diego got there first. "It's nothing." He sat up properly. "Let me see your English homework."

Dick didn't buy Diego's insistence that there was nothing wrong, but held off on pushing for the truth. There were plenty of things that could make a man not feel like talking first thing in the morning, even to his best friend. If Diego's sunny disposition hadn't returned by the end of the day, Dick would make an excuse to get him alone and ask him what was wrong.

They arrived at school and Diego slung his arm around Dick's shoulders as they walked inside. These days, Diego didn't have to reach up so much to do that – he'd grown at least a couple of inches since the spring, and now brushed five foot eleven. Dick's height had stayed constant, but he didn't mind; six foot one was a good height. They got to where they usually parted company and Diego simply dropped his arm and drifted away without a word.

Dick didn't get a chance to talk to Diego again until gym class. He'd even missed him at lunch. Dick had a funny feeling his friend was avoiding him.

Gym class in May and June was really swim class. Dick always came to school on those days with his trunks on under his trousers, and after class got dressed rather awkwardly under a strategically placed towel. Diego always just stripped right off to get changed. It made Dick a little uncomfortable but also kinda jealous – he wished he had that sort of confidence in his appearance.

"So, pal," he remarked, looking at the wall as he stuffed his clothes into his gym bag, "uh… everything okay?"

Diego was busy tying the drawstring of his trunks. They were black with orange trim and – much to the disappointment of their female classmates – reached almost to his knees.

"Yeah," he answered distractedly. "Fine." He hung his goggles round his neck and frowned as he looked at Dick.

"What?" Dick asked, shifting nervously.

Diego pointed at him. "Ricardo – your arms, man, they got _huge!"_

Dick grinned shyly, scratching the back of his head. "Eh, I dunno about huge, but…" He casually flexed his biceps. A wide smile spread across Diego's face and he folded his arms across his chest, nodding in approval.

The gym teacher stuck his head around the door and hollered at them and their fellow classmates to get a move on, and they headed for the poolside.

"Hey, ladies!" Diego yelled as they approached the girls. He clapped Dick on the shoulder. _"Mi amigo Ricardo es muy macho, no?"_

Dick blushed and ducked his head, but not before he saw a few of the girls give him appreciative looks.

"Weightlifting is really working for you," Diego told him. "I bet you could lift me now."

"Heh, maybe," Dick answered with a smile. "By Thanksgiving I should look really buff."

"Yeah," Diego replied quietly. They lined up, waiting for the swim coach to give the instruction to get into the water. Dick felt Diego tap him on the shoulder.

"Ricardo, listen – I'm gonna get off at your stop this afternoon, okay?" he said. "There's – there's something I have to tell you."

Dick spent the rest of the school day a bundle of nerves. Stuff he hadn't thought about in the last three months was surfacing in his mind. He had a feeling…an awful feeling…

Diego was going to come out to him.

Diego was going to tell him that he…_liked_ him.

Dick mounted the steps of the bus with trepidation. He got to their usual spot first and slid into the window seat, putting his backpack on the aisle seat. Already everything felt wrong.

It wasn't long before Diego joined him. His friend was quiet, gazing across the aisle and out the opposite window. The minutes ticked by until finally Dick couldn't take the silence between them any more.

"Hey, pal, how was your game on Saturday?"

"Hm?" Diego looked around. "Oh. There was a scout from Galaxy there."

Dick punched him lightly in the arm. "So you got signed, right?"

Diego grinned and shook his head. "Unless a scout from Boca Juniors turns up before the end of the season, it looks like I'm going to law school after all."

Dick smiled back, but the conversation had fizzled. He gazed out the window again, and tried to prepare himself for whatever Diego had to say to him.

The bus pulled in at Dick's stop. They got off and walked the few yards towards Dick's house.

"So, uh…" Dick hitched up his backpack and jerked a thumb at the front door."…you wanna come inside?"

Diego shook his head. "N-no."

Dick tried to dispel both their nervousness with a laugh. "Well, at least come and sit on the stoop, pal."

"Okay." Diego followed Dick up the driveway and the two boys sat on the low concrete stoop in front of the door. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Then Dick gently nudged Diego with his knee.

"Come on, pal," he said softly. "You said you had something to tell me." Diego ran a hand through his hair and an awful expression crossed his face – like he was going to cry. Dick felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. He wrapped an arm around Diego's shoulders. "Hey, come on, pal. It's me, remember?"

Diego took a deep breath and let it out.

"Friday night over dinner, my parents told me they had some good news," he began, and suddenly Dick realised what he was about to say, and that it was much worse than what he had imagined. "Remember how my mother got that promotion back in March?"

Dick nodded, even though his heart was sinking.

"Well, they crunched the numbers, and…" Diego swallowed. "…and they have enough money to send me to a private school across town." He looked at the gravel drive beyond them, his voice flat and emotionless. "They have special grinds for people who want to do stuff like medicine…or law." He glanced at Dick and flashed a brief smile. "It's all boys and I have to wear a uniform." He looked up at the sky. "I start there in the fall."

Dick looked away, his throat suddenly tight. Diego's shoulders were warm under his arm and he never wanted to let him go. Then he hugged him close.

"Hey, I'm happy for ya, pal," he said with a smile. "You're already wrecking the grading curve at our dump. Maybe now you'll get challenged, huh?"

Diego grinned and hugged him back. "Come with me," he said. "Be good practice. You'll have to stop dressing scruffy if you wanna be a cop."

"No way, pal," Dick replied, tugging at his T-shirt. "I like scruffy. That's why I'm gonna be a detective."

Their smiles faded and they sat in silence, each with one arm around the other's shoulders, words not coming any more. Diego's fingers twisted gently in the fabric of Dick's T-shirt. He was close enough that Dick could smell his hair gel. For the first time in months, Dick thought about kissing him.

Diego let go first, standing up.

"Um. So. I thought I should tell you," he mumbled.

Dick stood up too. "Yeah."

"Well." Diego turned away briefly and Dick realised with a wrench that he was wiping his eyes. Then Diego faced him and slapped him gently on the arm. "See you on the bus tomorrow."

Dick could only nod as Diego started down the street. The words s_tay in touch_ hung unspoken in the air, each of them knowing that things didn't work out that way. After summer, it was the end.

When Dick's mother came home half an hour later, he couldn't explain why he was crying.

***

"So, that's the story of my first kiss," Detective Gumshoe concluded.

Godot snorted as he took his place in front of the dartboard. "And you're admitting to this because…?"

"Hey, I've never been ashamed of it, pal!" Gumshoe replied forcefully. "Diego was my best friend back then. Having my first kiss with him just made it more special."

"It's a sweet story," Maggey remarked. "Much better than mine, anyway."

Winston sniffed in disdain. "I notice that so far _my_ first kiss is the only one that ends in a successful marriage to the most beautiful woman in the world."

Godot snickered and took his second shot. "Yeah, Winston, whatever you say."

"So what happened to Diego?" Maggey wanted to know.

Gumshoe shrugged. "He transferred at the end of tenth grade," he answered. "We kinda drifted apart after that. You know how it is." He had a sip of what was left of the one beer he'd been nursing all night. "Funny story, though – just after I became a detective, I had to testify in a murder trial. I looked across the courtroom and there he was – co-counsel for the defence." He smiled. "He was a little taller, had filled out a bit, but otherwise, same old Diego."

"In other words, he looked completely different," Godot remarked. His third dart hit the outer edge of the board and he swore under his breath before gathering the darts and writing his score on the chalkboard.

"So you guys got back in touch," Maggey guessed.

Gumshoe's face fell.

"Um, well…" He played idly with a bar mat. "I was gonna look him up, you know? Just for a drink or something. But stuff kept coming up and… well, I guess I never got around to it. Then, about six months after I saw him in court…" He swallowed. "…I found out that he'd died."

Maggey's hand flew to her mouth.

"That's so sad!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, devastating," Godot deadpanned. "Winston, your turn."

Gumshoe ignored him. "Yeah. Made me wish I'd kept in touch with him all these years. But I guess that's life, huh?" He swallowed the last of his beer. "Friends come and go, and Diego came along right when I needed him." He studied the empty glass, rolling it slowly in his hand. "I'll never forget him."

Maggey leaned her head on his shoulder, stroking her hand over his shirt.

"It's getting kinda late," she murmured. "You wanna walk me home?"

Gumshoe smiled. "Sure." They stood up and left the bar, arms wrapped around each other's waists.

Godot watched them go, resting his chin on his fist. He smirked as they paused in the doorway, Maggey leaning up to kiss Gumshoe's stubbly cheek. Behind him, Winston was crowing about his practically insurmountable lead, but Godot didn't pay him any attention.

_I never forgot you either, Ricardo. You're still one of the most genuine people I've ever met._

**The End**

_(cue "Rooftops: A Liberation Broadcast" by lostprophets)_


	3. Coda: Last Summer

**Last Summer**

**by Cyberwulf**

**Rated M**

**Summary: **First published on part fourteen of the Phoenix Wright Kink Meme over on livejournal as a coda to "First Kiss". The final days of Dick and Diego's friendship.

"Good summer?"

"Yeah."

It was late August.

They were chilling in Diego's back yard, sitting on a blanket spread on the lawn. They were taking turns to throw a squeaky rubber football for Torpedo, Dick's Shiba cross. Diego's silver Maine Coon, Maradona, prowled on top of the garden wall, glaring balefully at the canine intruder.

"Hey, Ricardo, your sister have the baby yet?"

"Yeah, pal." Dick pulled his cheap wallet from his pocket, and handed Diego a slightly battered picture. He smiled. "This is my nephew, little Richard."

Diego smiled back. "Cute." He handed the picture back and took a can of cola from the plastic kiddie bucket, filled with ice, between them. "What's it like to be an uncle?"

Dick shrugged. "It's okay, I guess." Diego was an only child. His father joked that they'd stopped at one because it was impossible to improve on perfection. Torpedo cantered up with the football in his mouth and Dick threw it again. "I'm real flattered that Beth named him after me."

Diego lay back on his elbows, trying to catch the rays of the early evening sun. He was wearing red soccer shorts, scuffed black sneakers, and the silver wrap-around shades he'd been sporting since coming back from vacation a week ago. Dick was wearing frayed, sun-bleached jeans and dirty white sneakers. Their shirts lay on the patio behind them.

They'd spent all day hanging out, starting in town and slowly working their way back out to the suburbs, taking in the park, a busted fire hydrant, and Dick's house for some snacks. It was about five pm now. Diego's house was empty. It was still warm, but there was an edge to the gentle breeze that wafted through the back yard. Fall was coming.

In the fall, Diego was transferring to a private school.

Diego was Dick's best friend. Diego'd told him the news back in May. Dick had cried that night. He cried again the night that school broke up. He still felt ashamed of that; he was sixteen, too old for that stuff. They'd only been friends for a year. It felt like a lifetime.

Torpedo flopped down beside them, panting, tired of the game at last. Dick reached out and patted him on the head. He glanced at Diego, stretched on the blanket, sunning himself. When school broke up, Dick had vowed to make the weeks of summer count, give their friendship some chance of survival. But there was soccer practice, wrestling camp, vacations at the beach, relatives to visit and relatives visiting them. They'd hung out maybe seven times all summer. It just wasn't meant to be.

Now here they were at the end, and they hadn't talked about it.

"School's starting soon," Dick murmured.

Diego just nodded.

"Bus ride won't be the same without you, pal," Dick said, struggling to keep his voice steady.

Diego smiled at him, but there was no strength behind it. "School won't be the same without you, amigo."

Dick turned away, tickling Torpedo under his chin, pretending he was okay. He heard Diego sit up with a dejected sigh. Plastic clicked against plastic as Diego took his sunglasses off and folded them up.

"I wish I wasn't going," he mumbled fiercely, running a hand through his sweaty dark hair.

"Hey, come on, pal," Dick replied, putting an arm around his shoulders. "It's a better school. Smaller classes, better teachers…" He grinned self-deprecatingly. "…no grunts like me who need the simple stuff explained over and over."

Diego slid his own arm around Dick's shoulders, and smiled back. "Don't put yourself down, Ricardo." His smile faded. "You're – you're one in a million, you know? I wish you were my brother."

They both gazed at the back wall of the yard and listened to the sounds of summer. The shouts of little kids playing filtered through from the street at the front of the house. A couple of houses over, someone was having a barbecue. Torpedo panted beside them.

Dick glanced at his friend. Six months ago on Valentine's Day, when Dick had received no cards, Diego'd kissed him to cheer him up. It was the first time Dick had ever been kissed. He'd been weirded out at the time, but now, here at the end, with Diego so close, his shoulders warm and slick with sweat under Dick's arm, it seemed right.

"Hey, Diego."

Diego looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Y'know, pal, if we were brothers…" Dick swallowed and wet his lips. "…then this'd be illegal."

He leaned into Diego, squeezing his shoulder with one hand and bringing his other hand up to stroke Diego's hair as their lips met. To his relief, Diego kissed back immediately, shifting so he could slide his arms around Dick's waist. Their bare chests brushed and Diego slid a hand down Dick's back. Dick dropped his hand from Diego's hair and trailed a thumb along Diego's scraggly beard. Heat began to pool in Dick's belly at the feel of Diego's tongue in his mouth. He held Diego tighter, wishing he could never let go.

They had to stop, out of necessity; both of them were getting breathless. Reality began to creep back in as they looked at each other, faces and chests flushed with emotion. Dick coughed awkwardly and turned away, shifting his leg to hide his erection and block out the sight of Diego's. Diego did likewise but with less success; his shorts offered less restraint than Dick's jeans.

Neither of them said a word.

Then Diego took Dick's hand.

Silently they both stood up, and Dick let Diego lead him inside.

***

"That…didn't make us gay, right pal?"

They lay in Diego's bed, the few clothes they were wearing scattered on the floor. The room was cooler than the yard outside. The window over the bed was open, and every so often the curtains waved gently in the breeze. Posters of soccer players adorned the walls.

"Nah," Diego replied. "It's gay if we put it in each other." He tucked one arm under his pillow and looked at Dick. "We're like…spunk brothers or something."

Dick shifted onto his side to look at Diego properly. "You know, pal…that was the first time I've ever done anything like this. With someone else, I mean."

"Me too, Ricardo," Diego murmured.

Dick grinned at him and gently shoved his shoulder. "Yeah, sure."

"No, really," Diego insisted, rolling onto his stomach. He propped himself up on his elbows. "I – I don't know if this…_counts_, y'know…virginity-wise…but it's special."

Dick gazed at Diego, bathed in the gold rays of the evening sun. Outside the little kids were still playing, and someone was mowing the lawn. Warm stickiness was drying on Dick's belly, and he could smell his best friend on the bedclothes.

"Yeah."

Diego smiled at him, then stretched. "Come on, we'd better clean up before my mom gets home."

Dick never told anyone. Not even Maggey. Not because he was ashamed, but because the moment was too special to let anyone else in. Because he didn't have many memories of Diego, and every time he shared one he felt like he'd lost something. Because he could never reconcile the bitter, sarcastic, joyless man Diego became with the sunny, good-natured boy he'd known. Because the newspapers were right all along – Diego Armando _had_ died in the courthouse cafeteria that day. Poisoned beyond recognition.

Detective Gumshoe retreated to that memory, when it was all over and Diego Armando was sentenced to death. And even though it made his eyes hot and his throat close up, he was still glad they'd gone to bed together on that warm August evening.

**The End**


End file.
